


The One Where Helena Tries To Flirt

by AvaHasAClosetMurderBoard



Category: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Dinah may just be into it though, F/F, Helena is really bad at flirting, Local dumbasses are bad at communication, Pre-Relationship, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:27:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23986807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvaHasAClosetMurderBoard/pseuds/AvaHasAClosetMurderBoard
Summary: “Did- did I say that out loud?” she hesitantly asks as she loosens her grip on the man’s shirt and he falls to the ground.“You did,” Renee deadpans, “quite loudly I may add.”orThe one where Helena awkwardly flirts, Dinah realizes she's actually into it and everyone else just wishes they would just bone.
Relationships: Helena Bertinelli/Dinah Lance
Comments: 14
Kudos: 220





	The One Where Helena Tries To Flirt

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SuperStitious18](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperStitious18/gifts).



> Okay first of all, I want to apologize if this is a mess since it's my first time writing them :P  
> And second, I hope you like it @SuperStitious18 since this was written for yooou!
> 
> Huge thank you again to @WardenRoot for the awesome beta ♥
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Also minor warning for language but hey it's BoP so :P

It all starts with an off comment from Helena while Dinah is busy delivering an uppercut to a gangbanger. 

She glances at her the second the man hits the floor by her feet with a loud  _ thud  _ and raises an eyebrow, and she knows for sure she has heard it properly when she notices the incredulous expression on Renee’s face. Helena seems to freeze on the spot, one of her hands still holding a fistful of a man’s collar while the other hangs in the air mid punch, and her eyes go wide. Her gaze flickers between the two of them, and the look on her face is akin to one of a child that has just been caught stealing candy. 

“Did- did I say that out loud?” she hesitantly asks as she loosens her grip on the man’s shirt and he falls to the ground. 

“You did,” Renee deadpans, “quite loudly I may add.”

“ _ Oh, _ ” is all Helena manages, her eyes now focused on Dinah. She still looks very much like a deer caught in headlights, but there’s an edge of something swimming in her eyes that gives the Canary pause. Normally she’d expect Helena to look guilty or embarrassed, but she’s actually looking anything but - and that’s  _ new.  _

Dinah hears Harley’s laugh echoing through the warehouse from a spot somewhere behind where she’s standing, followed by a, “Yeah I have to agree, Canary’s ass does look good in those tight pants.” 

******

Something similar happens again, two days later.

They’re all walking back from grabbing some late night snacks and drinks from the only place in town still open at three in the morning, after busting some noses and kneecaps. Harley is as rowdy as always, bragging about having a way bigger body count than all of them combined -  _ ‘hey, I’m tellin’ ya, I got at least twenty down!’ _ \- while they all kindly remind her there weren't even twenty men in total at the scene. She’s having none of it, because of course she’s not, gesturing wide with both hands and spilling half of her drink as she protests, and Dinah simply shakes her head and snorts.

That is until  _ Helena _ , of all people, decides to humor Harley. 

“I think you’re wrong,” she suddenly says, and all eyes turn to her. “I think I got a solid twenty-five.”

Harley lets out an offended gasp and they start bickering, while Dinah and Renee share an odd look between themselves. It’s not common for Helena to start something out of her own volition, and seeing her actually getting involved in one of Harley’s drunken late night body count ramblings is worrisome at best. Renee tilts her head and Dinah’s eyes follow the motion, falling on the bottle Helena is holding. It doesn’t take a genius to understand what Renee is implying and wants her to do, so she simply lets herself fall into step with Helena and snatches the bottle without a care.

Helena lets out an undignified ‘ _ Hey! _ ’ at the action and seizes her discussion with Harley to glare daggers towards Dinah instead, who simply shrugs in reply; and to add insult to injury, she actually takes a long drink out of the bottle while Helena watches. 

“Oh, you’re going to regret that…” she lets out, clearly annoyed. 

Another shrug, another sip. “Bite me.”

“Where?” 

Dinah freezes in place and nearly chokes on the burning liquid when the question fully registers, coughing and spluttering while Harley lets out a loud whoop and moves to pat her back. Renee mutters something about  _ ‘being too old for this shit’  _ and keeps walking, and Helena just stands there for a second, the perfect picture of confusion, until her eyes go wide and her cheeks turn all the different shades of red there are. She makes a half baked excuse about having left something in the oven and disappears down the alley, and Dinah watches her go wondering to herself what the hell had just happened. 

******

The third time it happens - because  _ yes, there’s a third time _ \- they’re at the tacos place enjoying some well deserved margaritas after pulling an all-nighter at the docks. 

Granted that’s definitely  _ not  _ how Dinah had planned to start her day - or end it in this case. But Harley had insisted and Renee didn’t want to pass on a free drink, and since she was the designated driver for the day well… she didn’t have much of a choice. What she hadn’t counted on, however, was for Helena to join them as eagerly as she did, considering lately she’d been scramming out of the field the second they were done. The off comment she’d made a few days back had earned her a nearly never ending string of teasing from everyone -  _ Cassandra included -  _ so Dinah couldn’t really hold it against her for running off. 

And that’s why seeing Helena there now, taking a seat across from Dinah with an unreadable expression on her face, feels somehow  _ off _ . 

They’re on their third round when Renee and Harley break off into a big argument about some 80’s cop show. It doesn’t take long for them to start throwing insults at each other and Dinah just rolls her eyes, aware that  _ she’s the one  _ who will have to put up with them in her car later on. Her gaze falls to the woman currently sitting across from her, and she almost chokes on her water when she finds Helena peering at her through thick eyelashes. She makes a big show of pouring some salt in the space between her thumb and her index finger, before she licks it off and downs a shot of tequila - when had she even switched drinks? - and Dinah finds herself swallowing hard at the sight. 

That is until Helena starts choking and sputtering not even a second later.

Harley and Renee snap their attention towards them and Dinah only has half a mind to reach across the table and give Helena a couple of awkward pats on the back. She stops the moment Helena lifts her eyes to meet her gaze, and the snarky remark Dinah had built up dies on her lips when she notices there’s a clear edge _ of something _ in the Huntress’s eyes. It’s clearer, with the daylight streaming from the window, and the intensity of it knocks the air out of her lungs. 

“Aw, are you two having a moment right now?” Harley suddenly asks, and Dinah finds herself coughing awkwardly at the comment. She dodges her eyes to glare at her, but obviously Miss Quinn doesn’t get the memo and looks at Renee with a big grin on her face. “They were  _ totally  _ having a moment, did you see it?  _ Did you _ ?”

“To be honest I think the entire diner saw  _ and  _ heard it, thanks to you.” She finishes the rest of her drink in one go, while Harley glares daggers at her. “You’re supposed to let them  _ be.  _ If they wanna jump each other’s bones, that’s their business.”

“That’s not- where the hell is that coming from?!” Dinah tries to ask, but they break into an argument again and she’s left shaking her head and fuming. She chances a glance towards Helena, half expecting to find her cheeks to be the same shade as the booth they’re sitting at by now, but instead finds her shooting her what can only be described as a  _ sultry look _ . 

She sits back down, rubs her eyes, and chalks it all up as exhaustion. The night was too long, everyone is too tired, and clearly she’s imagining things.

_ Or is she? _

******

Dinah realizes she’s  _ not  _ imagining things when it happens yet again.

She’s sent out of town with  _ Helena, _ of all people, to meet one of Renee’s old contacts in some coastal town up north. She could have easily done the drive to, met the man, and came back all by herself, but both Renee and Harley insisted she take someone as back-up - only as a precaution, of course.

And the only person that so happened to be free was the same one that had awkwardly been avoiding Dinah like she was the plague incarnated ever since the diner thing.

_ Helena. _

Dinah has absolutely no idea what’s going through her head these days. Sometimes she stands awfully close and makes remarks that nearly leave Dinah feeling like she has to pinch herself to make sure she’s not hearing things; while others she’s guarded and keeps an abysmal distance between them. It’s giving her whiplash and she has thought of asking about it multiple times, but each and every time she tries, Helena either goes quiet or deflects. 

It’s infuriating, to say the least.

The drive to the city is done in complete silence, save for the music playing on the radio. Halfway through it Dinah finds herself quietly singing along to the songs, more to herself than anything, and from the corner of her eye she notices Helena looking at her with something akin to awe written all over her face. It’s odd but also strangely endearing, and Dinah finds herself awkwardly having to pull over for some fresh air when the staring continues and her face begins to heat up out of the blue.

She’s used to sing in front of strangers at nightclubs - so why is she suddenly feeling like this just because Helena is looking at her? 

The answer ends up coming to her later that night, as she and Helena end up having to share the same bed.

It’s all explained and apologized as an ‘unfortunate mix-up’ by the aging woman behind the front desk of the motel they’re staying at, but Dinah knows better by now, especially when said woman claims there’s no more rooms available despite the pile of keys hanging behind her saying otherwise. She considers a confrontation but she’s too tired and too sore from the drive and really needs a shower, so all things considered Dinah lets it slide. She signs the paper that is extended her way and casually throws Helena the key when it’s handed to her. Dinah ends up fishing for her phone as they step outside into the cool air to get to their room, opens Renee’s contact, and quickly texts her a single middle finger emoji, feeling like that alone will convey pretty well how she feels about the situation.

She showers while Helena orders some food, and not much is spoken between them afterwards. There’s a moment of tension where Helena insists she’ll just take the floor, but Dinah reasons the bed is big enough for them both to lay comfortably without it being awkward.

Of course she ends up swallowing her own words the second they’re both under the covers and Dinah can feel the heat radiating from Helena, despite the sizable gap between them. 

What truly scares her, though, is how  _ welcome  _ it feels, and how even if they’re both just awkwardly laying on their backs with their gazes glued to the ceiling, Dinah feels immensely glad Helena tagged along.

She mutters a quiet ‘goodnight’ and turns on her side when she starts to wonder if Helena’s creamy skin feels just as soft as it looks. She’s not sure where that thought comes from and dreads ending up opening a can of worms if she tries to figure it out, so she pushes it down, closes her eyes, and decides calling it a night is the right thing to do.

Except Helena seems to have other plans.

Her voice reaches Dinah’s ears only a few moments later, and she still sounds surprisingly awake for someone who kept yawning non stop after dinner. “You know, I read that cuddling is actually good for your immune system.” 

Dinah’s eyes fly open once the words register in her mind and she twists her body so she can look at the other woman. It’s hard to make out her features in the dark but she knows those eyes are trained on her - she can feel them. She opens her mouth and closes it a few times, wondering what to say in response, but before she can come up with anything, Helena speaks again. 

“That- that was the random fact of the day,” she rushes out, sounding incredibly nervous for some reason. “Anyway, goodnight, Dinah.”

She hears and feels her shift then, and knows Helena has turned on her side when she doesn’t feel her gaze on her anymore. Dinah remains frozen in the same position, half wondering what had just transpired. The words felt like they had some inbetween the lines sort of proposal, and the way her heart pounds against her chest at the prospect of Helena  _ indirectly asking for a cuddle from her  _ leaves her reeling. Is she actually attracted to Dinah? And more important, is she attracted to her as well?

Dinah lays back down but sleep never comes. She spends the next few hours laying wide awake, going through every single interaction between them and how she’d felt about it. She can’t figure out Helena's feelings but she can damn well figure out her own, and as the first rays of sun peek through the curtains, it dawns on her that  _ yes _ , she _ may _ be attracted to Helena.

The day flies by rather quickly. They turn in their room key, drive to a small diner and eat breakfast. Around lunch time they manage to track down and talk to Renee’s contact, get their intel, and soon they’re on their way back to Gotham. They don’t speak much, at least not more than is necessary, but Dinah is now hyper aware of the little things she’s been apparently missing about herself when it comes to interacting with Helena. 

Her voice softens when she talks to her. She only stops in places that make a good italian coffee, even if she has to drive a few extra miles for it. She always makes sure to ask Helena if it’s okay to touch her before she reaches out to help her with the stubborn seatbelt. She knows exactly what Helena will order when they stop for food, and that she likes it mild and not spicy. But mostly, Dinah finds herself singing not just for her own benefit anymore because she knows Helena is watching her with awe written all over her face again. 

And it’s only when she’s laying in her own bed and finds herself missing Helena that Dinah comes to the obvious conclusion.

_ She is attracted to her. _

Now all that remains to be seen is if Helena even feels the same.

******

The perfect opportunity to figure it all out presents itself exactly a week later.

The warehouse they've slowly been remodelating to be their base of operations is relatively quiet that afternoon, aside from Dinah’s own panting and the echoes of the blows she swiftly delivers to the training dummy. With Renee out to meet a contact and Harley doing…whatever she usually does when she's not needed, Dinah and Helena have both been left to their own devices until there’s more intel on the guy they’re investigating and his buddies. 

Which apparently meant a whole afternoon of doing absolutely  _ nothing. _

She had tried to just lounge on the couch and read some stuff on her phone for the most part, but boredom and the quiet had quickly left her antsy and itching for a smoke. Helena sat on a mat nearby in what looked like some sort of deep meditation, and Dinah could not fathom how she was managing to remain so unfazed by all the twisting and turning she was doing in a futile attempt to get comfortable - she hadn't even so much as cracked an eye open when Dinah stood up with a loud sigh and walked towards the training area.

She’s been at it for almost an hour now. 

Granted it wasn't the best idea to burn  _ this much energy _ with the looming possibility of having to go out there the second Renee turned up with a location, but it was either this or walking outside for a smoke -  _ or probably four _ . The last few days had been pretty uneventful in the punching bad guys department, and of course the second they have a case the guy goes into hiding like a coward, much to Dinah's frustration.

She’s so focused on the dummy that she completely fails to notice Helena has somehow moved and is  _ right next to her _ , casually leaning against one of the practice targets. Dinah nearly jumps out of her own skin when she sees her out of the corner of her eye and lets out a low curse, halting her movements to shoot a glare towards the woman. 

"Hey, it's not my fault," Helena quickly says as she holds up her hands defensively, "I made a lot of noise this time."

Dinah shakes her head and lets out a low chuckle at the words, her attention back on the training dummy in front of her. "I still think we should put a bell on you."

“I would prefer a ring.”

“... What?”

“Nothing.”

They grow quiet after that, and Dinah simply files it as another miscommunication attempt and awkwardly goes back to beating the poor thing up while Helena watches on. She starts to feel strangely self conscious about her posture and delivery, like Helena may be silently judging her on it - or maybe it's not that at all. Maybe it's just the way she feels those eyes sweeping over her like she’s being blatantly  _ checked out _ and Dinah starts to honestly think she's going insane and seeing things that aren't there.

Because there's no way in hell  _ Helena Bertinelli  _ of all people would be interested in her. 

_...Right? _

"So…" Helena starts out of the blue, and Dinah pauses mid punch to glance her way. "I heard you like bad girls." 

Dinah raises an eyebrow at that and lets her arm drop, turning on the spot so she's facing Helena. She can't help the incredulous expression that morphs into her features the moment she takes in the absolute casual way Helena is standing, arms neatly folded above her chest and her head slightly tilted to the side, and if they weren't the only people in the warehouse right now Dinah may have asked someone to actually pinch her to make sure she's awake and had heard her right.

"Well, I'm bad," she continues in a lower voice a mere heartbeat later, blinking both eyes like she has got something in them, and Dinah’s mouth falls open. 

Wait.

_ Is Helena really trying to flirt with her?  _

"Are you- are you flirting with me right now?" Dinah finds herself asking out loud, still finding herself needing some verbal confirmation that she is, in fact, not imagining things. 

Helena blinks at her like she had just asked for the answer to the most obvious question in the entire universe. "I am."

And just like that, realization hits Dinah like a ton of bricks. The off comment during the fight. The scene at the diner. The eyes she always felt on her whenever they were out in the field. The way Helena always seemed to gravitate close during fights. The lingering after a meet-up. The casual touches. 

How could she have missed all that?

She lets out a breath through her nose as she digests all the information, and doesn't really know what to say or do now that she knows for sure Helena feels the exact same way she does. It’s endearing that she would go out of her way to show interest, even if she had really not chosen the best ways to do so, but the thing about Dinah is that she’s not great at spelling those things out either.

And as such, she finds herself cocking her head to the side instead as an idea comes to mind. “Wanna go a few rounds with me on the mat?”

Helena nearly chokes. “You mean…?”

“Sparring, of course.” She flashes her a grin that’s anything but innocent and takes a few steps back. “Come on, killer - unless you think you can’t take me..?”

“Oh, you’re  _ on _ .”

They get into position on one of the bigger mats, standing right across from each other. Dinah gives Helena a minute to stretch her muscles and crack her neck, and it’s almost without warning that she throws the first punch.

It misses spectacularly. 

It starts slow, with both of them clearly sizing their opponent up, but soon they’re locked in a nearly choreographed dance, with blocks and dodges and rolls and high kicks. Dinah clearly has the advantage in close quarters but Helena is agile and fast, so she finds herself having to block more than anything when Helena becomes relentless in her approach, striking fast and with terrifying precision. At one point she somehow manages to slip past Dinah’s guard and clocks her right in the nose, leaving her reeling. Helena immediately freezes. 

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry, Dinah-”

She doesn’t even get to finish her sentence. Dinah lets out a low growl and bulldozes straight into her, sending them both sprawling down on the mat. They land with an audible  _ thud _ , and Dinah wastes no time adjusting herself so she’s straddling Helena and pins both her wrists down above her head. It takes a moment for Helena to recover from having the air knocked out of her, but when she does she looks up at Dinah with wide eyes and her mouth falls open. 

“You’re bleeding.”

Dinah simply shrugs. “I’ve had worse,” she states, a lazy smile on her lips as she takes in the sight of Helena pinned down under her body. It’s really not an unwelcome one. “What matters, though, is that  _ I won _ .”

Helena raises an eyebrow at the words, but makes no effort to move. “I guess you did, even if it was by  _ cheating. _ ”

“You shouldn’t have let your guard down.” Dinah leans down slightly, her voice taking on a lower tone. “Didn’t they teach you that in assassin school?”

“Oh they did. And they _ also  _ taught me something else…”

Dinah doesn’t even have time to ask or even react as Helena hooks one leg behind hers and manages to flip them over, successfully inverting their positions. It takes Dinah a few heartbeats to register what has happened, but when she does her grin is feral as she takes in the way Helena is basically laying on top of her. “Not bad, killer,” she says nearly breathless, eyes sparkling with unabashed mirth, “not bad at all.”

It’s impossible to miss the way Helena’s eyes light up and her lips spread into a little smile at the words, and it’s honestly adorable how proud of herself she looks then. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome. Although I’m wondering...” Dinah trails off and raises an eyebrow, and Helena almost immediately mirrors the action. “... what would you like as a reward.”

The implications behind her words take some time to register - Helena makes it well evident in the way she starts up by furrowing her brows and then tilts her head, as if she’s confused. Next she purses her lips and narrows her eyes, probably considering the possibility that Dinah may be messing with her; and it’s only when her eyes widen and she lets out an  _ ‘oh’  _ that she finally seems to get it. 

The air around them shifts afterwards, and Dinah finds herself holding her breath as Helena’s eyes clearly flicker towards her lips. It doesn’t take much longer for her to begin leaning down painfully slowly, like she’s still unsure if what she’s about to do is okay, and despite wanting to desperately tell Helena  _ just that _ , Dinah is too tongue tied to do so. Her eyes begin closing on their own accord when she feels Helena’s hair tickling her skin and her warm breath against her lips and- 

A loud banging sound echoes through the warehouse as the backdoor is clearly thrown open without a care and they both jump at the sound. Dinah’s eyes fly open while Helena scrambles to get back on her feet, and as Renee comes into view a moment later, Dinah momentarily considers letting out a cry in her direction for her terrible timing. She mutters a  _ ‘fuck’  _ under her breath instead. 

Renee stands there with her hands firmly planted against her waist, eyes sharp like she just stumbled onto a crime scene, and that's when Dinah remembers her nose  _ was bleeding not long ago  _ and goes to wipe at it with the back of her hand. She winces at the contact and just barely catches the apologetic glance Helena shoots her way, before Renee speaks.

"Do I even wanna ask what the hell happened here? I mean-" her eyes dart between the two of them, and then she gestures towards Helena- "she looks like she just got caught with her hand in the cookie jar and you-" her hands moves to point at Dinah then- "look like someone just beat the shit out of you." 

Dinah raises herself to a sitting position and casually shrugs. "You're not too far off from the truth I guess."

Renee simply lets out an exasperated sigh. “Look, I don’t know what kind of kinky shit you two get up to in your spare time or even  _ care to know _ ; but keep in mind that other people use those mats too.” Dinah opens her mouth to tell her it’s not what she thinks, but a sharp finger is pointed her way and Renee continues. “ _ And  _ as much as I would love a good back-and-forth about this, I got a location and we have to move  _ now. _ ”

She shoots them  _ a look  _ and doesn’t wait for a reply before she’s turning on her heel in the direction of the tall cabinets where their weapon arsenal is safely kept, and Dinah blows out a frustrated breath. She stands up and dusts herself, only then sparing a glance towards Helena, who’s looking like she’s about to pass out more than anything else. As much as Dinah wants to reach out and make sure she’s alright, the urgency of the situation doesn’t allow her to - not to mention she’s really not about to talk feelings when Renee is still present in the room. So instead she flashes what she hopes to be an encouraging smile and gives her an apologetic look. 

They’ll have to sort things out another time, it seems. 

******

Later that night, they all rendezvous at Dinah’s place to unwind after yet another eventful day. Turns out busting a couple of noses in an alley in broad daylight may have not been their best idea - the douchebag they’d been after ran to hide in the rich part of town, and of course some fancy suit had decided that a couple of chicks kicking some ass was too much of a hit to his fragile ego and had called the cops on them. 

_ For trespassing.  _

Apparently he rightfully owned the area below his office balcony and hadn’t taken it well when Canary had knocked a guy out till next Wednesday while giving him the finger, so after yelling nonsense down at them he’d grabbed his phone. The cops had showed up surprisingly fast and they had barely enough time to gather their bearings before taking off in a sprint. They’d ended up splitting and running in opposite directions, after quickly agreeing to meet back at Dinah’s place, and luckily for them the cops had given up quite easily not even too long after the chase had started. Harley had managed to arrive first, shortly followed by Helena and Dinah herself, and about twenty minutes later Renee was also there. Cassandra had shown up as well, after being texted and lured with promises of free snacks and dinner. 

Which leads to why they’re all lazily lounging around Dinah’s living room, with empty take-away containers and candy wrappers strewn all over the place. She doesn’t even have the energy left to yell about it, and considering the crappy week they’d all experienced, she decides to let it slide  _ this time _ . Renee lets out a massive snore from where she’s reclined on one of the armchairs and Dinah rolls her eyes because  _ of course  _ Renee Montoya would be knocked out cold already when it’s not even ten pm yet. Next to her, basically occupying Dinah’s entire couch, Harley stretches like a cat, which earns her a reprimand from Cassandra, who’s sitting right at the edge of it playing a game on her newly acquired smartphone. 

Her head subconsciously tilts upwards and she finds Helena curiously peering down at her. She’s sitting on Dinah’s other armchair with her legs crossed and her feet on the cushion, while Dinah herself is sitting on the floor with her back against it. They had a heated argument about the sitting arrangement, with Helena absolutely insisting as the owner of the house Dinah should - by all rights - take the seat, but she was having none of it. She’d pushed Helena down on it surprisingly easily, while taking the spot on the floor between the armchair and the coffee table, and refused to even acknowledge the string of protests that had followed the action. 

What she’s aware of, though, is how she could have just as easily grabbed an extra chair from the kitchen or even sat anywhere else in the room, but had somehow chosen to sit by Helena instead. She’d half expected a remark from Harley about it, but supposes her sitting choice could be seen as a  _ ‘I’m trapping you so you can’t leave the damn chair now’ _ kind of situation - which couldn’t be further from the truth. 

She hasn’t been able to stop thinking about what had transpired earlier in the warehouse, and what may have happened if Renee hadn’t shown up when she did. It’s ridiculous really how easily she finds herself missing the closeness when they’re in the same room but apart from each other, and part of her wants nothing more than to scream at Helena for making her feel like that. Dinah won’t though. She’s well aware by now she’s also partially to blame in this push-and-pull game they’ve been unintentionally playing, and sitting by Helena is just another one of those things she’s been doing to fan out the flames.

She doesn’t realize she’s been staring at Helena all that time until the sound of Harley clearing her throat makes her snap out of it. Dinah blinks and fights the sudden rush of blood to her cheeks, gaze moving to glare daggers at the woman lounging on her couch. Harley simply wiggles her eyebrows at her before she goes back to snapping pictures of the fast asleep Renee, and Dinah simply shakes her head and lets out a breath through her nose in annoyance. 

And that’s when it happens. 

There’s a hesitant touch on her shoulder, and Dinah finds herself freezing at the contact out of habit, even if she knows there’s only one person behind her. Her muscles go taut and her body goes rigid in such a way one would assume that’d be enough to dissuade Helena from letting the pads of her fingers glide across her skin, but she actually seems to take that as an excuse to touch  _ more  _ instead _.  _ There’s suddenly two firm hands on her shoulders, squeezing and working on the knots there, and Dinah can’t help the throaty sound that escapes her at the motions, which is so conveniently covered up by one of Renee’s loud snores. Her eyes nearly roll to the back of her skull when the touch moves lower, right in between her shoulder blades, and she ends up finding herself shifting just so Helena can reach the spot better. 

Renee snores so loud she wakes herself up at some point and yells something about seagulls, and Dinah’s eyes fly open - when had she even closed them in the first place? - and her first instinct is to get up and put some distance between her and Helena. She does so  _ completely forgetting  _ the woman had been leaning down to reach her shoulders, and they end up loudly bumping heads. The action obviously attracts more attention that she’d wanted in the first place, with three pairs of eyes watching them now.

Dinah awkwardly rubs the back of her head, mouth opening and closing as her eyes rapidly dart between Renee, Harley, and Cassandra, and purposely avoiding looking at Helena. She can only make up some excuse about grabbing some more drinks and disappears into her kitchen, completely tuning out the teasing and the laughs that follow the action. She leans against the sink, hand splayed on the cool tiles of the counter, and lets out a breath through her nose. She wonders what the hell is wrong with her and why she can’t put herself together, before grabbing a clean glass from the nearby dish rack and filling it up under the sink tap. Dinah is in the middle of taking a long sip, enjoying the feeling of the cool liquid down her throat, when she hears quiet footsteps signaling that someone has just crossed the threshold to the kitchen; and as she chances a glance over her shoulder, she finds Helena leaning against the door frame. 

“Look, I’m not very good at,” she begins, faintly gesturing between them, “ _ this _ , but I think maybe we need to talk.”

Dinah sighs and places the glass down in the sink, and turns around. “Yeah, I guess we do.”

They look at each other for what feels like a whole century but no words are said, and the longer it goes on, the more defensive Dinah starts to get. She crosses her arms above her chest and furrows her brow, and Helena only stands up straighter, probably sensing the shift. Dinah’s almost sure she’s going to mirror her actions and get on the defensive as well, but Helena’s arms remain limply by her sides, even if there’s a noticeable twitch to her fingers. 

She regrets the words the second they’re out of her mouth. “Back at the warehouse - what happened was a mistake.”

“Didn’t look like it.”

Dinah chews on her lower lip, more out of frustration than anything else, and dodges her eyes to avoid Helena’s gaze. “Well it was.” She pauses to swallow, like she’s physically swallowing all her feelings to keep them all down, before continuing. “It shouldn’t have happened and I’m glad Renee showed up.”

She hates herself for saying it, but what else can she do in this situation? It’s much easier when it’s just playful and flirty banter between them, with easy smiles and casual touches, but add being alone in the same space talking about feelings to the mix and things get way too complicated. Not to mention they’re a team now, and if things go sideways it won’t be pretty. Gotham needs them, her own feelings be damned. 

“You don’t mean that.” Helena’s voice brings her back out of her thoughts, and Dinah is surprised she’s still there despite her words.

“I do,” she tries again, hating how her voice doesn’t come out as strong sounding as she wants it to. It’s like her body has decided to betray her.

“Okay, then,” Helena lets out with a finality that has Dinah thinking she’s going to leave things as they are and probably walk away - except the words are followed by approaching footsteps, and suddenly Helena is stepping right into her personal space. “Prove it then, Dinah - look at me and say it to my face.”

Dinah’s not sure if what angers her more at that moment is Helena’s inability of knowing when to quit or her own refusal to just  _ talk things out _ , but it’s hard to keep the scowl off of her face when she lifts her eyes and finds herself face-to-face with Helena. She hadn’t expected her to be  _ that close,  _ and with Dinah still very much leaning back against the counter, the other woman easily towers over her more than usual. Helena looks and feels like an imposing presence, her dark eyes searching Dinah’s own for answers, and she nearly forgets how to breath at the sight. It’s too much - the inquisitive look, the familiar warmth that radiates in waves, the fact that their bodies at that close - and her eyes find themselves darting to Helena’s lips out of their own accord. 

Helena notices the motion, and ends up mirroring it as her hands move to rest on the polished surface of the counter, successfully trapping Dinah against it. She leans down then, their faces mere inches apart, and when she speaks again Dinah can feel every word ghosting her lips. “Just say it like you actually mean it and I’ll leave.”

Except Dinah doesn’t want her to leave. 

Her hands end up grabbing a fistful of Helena’s shirt and she tugs her down, and it’s like fireworks explode behind her eyelids when she crashes their lips together. The kiss starts out slow and tentative, but soon is anything but chaste - Helena presses her body nearly flush against hers and Dinah parts her lips to let out a growl, which is taken as an opportunity to deepen the kiss. 

They’re so wrapped up in each other that they don’t notice _ someone has entered the kitchen _ until there’s a loud whoop, a sigh, and the sound of someone fake gagging.

Dinah reluctantly breaks the kiss to glare daggers at the others while Helena hides her face in Dinah’s hair, no doubt embarrassed from being caught, and she finds herself wrapping her arms around her waist in an almost protective way at the action. 

“About time!” Harley lets out, clapping her hands in delight. “I honestly thought we would have to lock you two in a closet.”

“I wish you had…” Cassandra pipes up.

“I’m just glad they’re getting it on here instead of on the mats back at the warehouse.”

“What?! Oh you’ll have to tell me that one-”

Dinah rolls her eyes and interrupts them. “We’re just kissing, you perverts. Though...” she trails off and somehow manages to hoister herself up so she’s sitting on the edge of the counter, and pulls Helena closer until she’s standing in the space between her legs. “If you don’t wanna see anything you shouldn’t, call it a night and go home.”

When all she gets is a pair of skeptical looks - Cassandra had the good sense of turning around and looking elsewhere - Dinah doesn’t hesitate in searching out Helena’s lips again, even if kissing her now feels like making out with a training dummy, considering how stiff she feels in her arms. Renee makes an off comment that Dinah only partially gives a shit about, and her only response is to give her the finger and kiss Helena harder. 

She waits for their footsteps to fade deeper into the apartment to break the kiss again, and she swears both her and Helena hold their breaths until they finally hear the front door slamming shut. 

“Sorry about that,” she whispers nearly breathlessly, one of her hands moving to rest against Helena’s cheek, thumb gently rubbing soothing motions on the skin there. “I just really wanted them gone.”

Helena nods in a quick succession. “It’s cool,” she breathes out, eyes flickering back to Dinah’s lips. “Though now that they left, do you think we could-”

“Definitely.”

Dinah kisses her again with a smile, debating if moving this to her bedroom would be worth the extra few seconds of wait before she got Helena exactly how she wanted her.


End file.
